10/11/15

Pan

Yup, it's about Peter himself. Actually, this is a genesis story: where Peter came from and how he became the legendary Peter Pan. Screenwriter Jason Fuchs ("Ice Age: Continental Drift") working from J.M. Barrie's classic, gives director Joe Wright ("Anna Karenina") a contrived story that is just close enough to the original that we recognize the characters, but far enough to confuse children who expect the Disneyfied version.

A preliminary scene shows us a bereft mother dropping off her baby at an orphanage. Then our story begins in London during the Blitz where these Dickensian digs shelter 12-year-old boys. Of course the head nun is an ugly tyrant who exploits and mistreats them, so we enjoy it when she gets her comeuppance. Thus begins our Hero's Journey.

Here are some of the actors:
  • Levi Miller (in his first big-screen lead) is wonderful as Peter, a boy who is convinced his mother will come back for him. He is curious, skeptical, and a natural leader, but has sense enough to be afraid when things look bad.
  • Garrett Hedlund ("Country Strong") is Mr. Hook, a two-fisted Indiana Jones look-alike, complete with fedora and attitude; "I don't have your back, Kid!" (I kept looking for the bull-whip). I enjoyed every scene where he was featured.
  • Hugh Jackman ("Les Miserables") This charismatic actor is buried in Blackbeard's evil persona, determined to find the Fairy Kingdom which will provide him with enough fairy dust for eternal youth.
  • Rooney Mara ("Side Effects") is Tiger Lily. This character is far, far from Barrie's original. This one is a swashbuckling swordsman (woman?) who battles Blackbeard and flirts with Mr. Hook.
  • Adeel Akhtar (Lots of TV) is Sam Smiegel ("Smee"), a hapless coward who only hinders everyone around him.
Like so many big-screen, big-budget movies these days, our tale is overwhelmed by Computer Generated Imaging which does nothing to advance the story: e.g., the airborne sailing ships come complete with cannons AND flamethrowers. The battle scenes are endless and ultimately, boring. This PG-rated fantasy ran for 111 minutes, but somehow it seemed longer.

For me, it just didn't pan out.
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Take a look:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2758455065
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